I Page 12D-- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5,T985 The Michigan Daily - Thurs JAZZ Bid for power MUSIC E By Marc S. Taras I F YOU are already a jazzhead (you probably turned to this page first!) you will be delighted to know that you have made a significant decision in choosing the University of Michigan. Read on. And do try to contain your excitement. You will be among family soon enough, alright? If you are unaware, or have only a passing interest in the wide world of jazz music . . . brace yourself. In moving to Ann Arbor you are joining a community that will relentlessly, gently, lovingly, and irresistibly encourage you to broaden your musical horizons. This is an academic community, and one where the learning opportunities ex- tend far beyond the classrooms, you dig? Jazz is in the air. It is the music of life itself! Since this article is addressed to in- coming students, the natural place to start is with students and educational experiences. The assets of the School of Music will be evident to those enrolled there. The School of Music library has a plentiful selection of jazz history and literature, including bound volumes of Downbeat magazine that go back thirty years or so. Fascinating stuff. But let's con- sider a practical education. No amount of research can replace ac- tivity, that is to say involvement. This is where Eclipse comes in. Eclipse Jazz is a world class student-run jazz promotion group. As a booking agency for jazz artists, Eclipse has rightfully gained inter- national acclaim. They book most of the major jazz concerts that occur in the Ann Arbor area. In the past two terms alone Eclipse has sponsored shows by (among others!) McCoy Tyner, Pat Metheney, the David Murray Octet, vocalist Abbey Lin- coln and Bobby McFerrin, new age pianist George Winston, and the all- star ensemble Ekaya, led by South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (a.k.a. Dollar Brand). If you are already familiar with some of these artists, you get the point: Eclipse promotes the entire spectrum of ar- tists and musics which fall under the wonderfully amorphous heading "jazz." What is important here, besides having a great time, is that Eclipse of- fers students an opportunity to become involved in every aspect of concert promotion and production. This year's co-directors are Al Hudock, Bruce Casler, and Tim Smith. They will help you find fun ways to get involved. The oppor- tunities range from promotion and graphics design to tech work with the stage, sound, and light crews. You can work with the artists on the hospitality committee and at the ar- tists' workshops. You can work in merchandising or in organizing the annual jazz lecture series. And if you are adept at fundraising, Eclipse needs you! Eclipse is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts but can always use some help in filling the coffers . . . and oh yes! Eclipse is a non-profit organization (read: a good cause!). An auspicious occasion is upcoming coincident with your arrival in Ann Arbor. This fall and winter terms of '85 and '86 mark the tenth anniversary of Eclipse Jazz. You will be able to be a part of some of the most ambitious (and fun!) concerts and events ever presented. Though the celebration is still in the planning stages, directors Hudock and Smith have given me an inkling of what sort of things we can expect. Tentative plans include a parade through town with, a New Orleans-style brass band, a possible mini-festival, a glorious concert series possibly featuring Sun Ra and his Arkestra, and an evening of jazz on film presented by renowned authority David Chertok. I have at- tended one of Chertok's "concerts in film" and it was amazing. The audience roared its approval as Monk Trane, and Lady Day took to the "stage" (or screen!). It is a wild thing to look forward to, and as usual, an ongoing education. Before moving on it behooves me to mention that Eclipse is a professional organization. It is a workshop for vocational training. Many Eclipse grads have gone on to work in the music industry at home and abroad. Lee Berry went on to become the vice-president of Prism Productions, another local booking group. Peter Pretzfelder has been working with ar- tists such as Dewey Redman and An- dreas Vollenweider. Mary Townsend has been working with Fleming and Associates booking the Montreux- Detroit jazz festivals. Sound man Ed Learned has literally toured the world with Chico Freeman and Ronald Shannon Jackson. So the bottom line on Eclipse is to go to the shows, have fun, and get involved in whatever way you are able or would like. Other Agencies and Venues: Eclipse is certainly not the only game in town when it comes to jazz. There are other production groups and numerous clubs which feature jazz. The newest of the clubs is called the Bird of Paradise. It is the brain child of bassist/ban- dleader/proprietor Ron Brooks. There is no cover charge and the company is warm. The music is generally straight ahead (and swinging!) and never too loud. It is a great spot for conversation and listening which will feature a variety of world class Detroit-area talent. And that says an awful lot about the quality of the fun to be had. The Apartment Lounge is located on North Campus. Pete Hodges presides over the Jazz Company which spon- sors concerts and jam sessions there. The jam sessions are a loosely-knit big fun situation where everybody can join in, and the concerts have featured artists such as Marcus Belgrave, Freddie Hubbard, and guitarist- phenom Stanley Jordan. This is a good time, worth going out of your way to enjoy. The Blind Pig is one of Ann Arbor's favorite nightspots, featuring a variety of musics. Largely through the efforts of Lee Berry and the Prism staff they have begun to feature jazz occasionally at Ann Arbor's traditional home of the blues. The Blind Pig Spotlight Series featured Dr. John,hair-raising pianist Makoto Ozone, and the incredible Gary Bur- regular non-concert crowd of local good ol' boys whose idea of fun was a drunken brawl-was closed and remodelled by the management as Ann Arbor's equivalent of the famed Studio 54. To complete the concept is a flashy amalgamation of fascist art deco decor with lots of lights, mirrors, and videos on a big screen. The cover is stiff, as are the drinks, and while the dance floor is sizeable, the taped music (most nights) caters to the latest trends with forgettable dance- pop-funk-soul 12" remix fare. And after the good bands attract a little attention on the bars and clubs scene, they return for the next challenge-Ann Arbor's theatres and halls. The Michigan Theater, an old movie palace built in the '20s, is the prime spot. The Michigan has presented the notable likes of Laurie Anderson, The Jam, 'X', and Simple Minds, and done so memorably. It is roomy enough to allow performers theatrical license without compromising the necessary and intense level of intimacy associated with Ann Arbor perfor- mances. The acoustics aren't bad, and thoughtful mixing and am- plification-a concept which seems to escape many a band- can balance out any real problems. The Michigan is the perfect place to catch bands in their prime-just beyond rough bar gigging, but not yet having succumbed to arena-sized deplorability. Hill Auditorium is the University's showcase for orchestras and artists of world reknown; the theater itself is of high regard. To pay the rent, as if this were a consideration, Hill opens up to rock concerts regularly during the course of the school year. Though the bulk of these acts are strictly clearasil, e.g. Billy Idol, there have been more than a few noteworthy ex- ceptions- like Joe Jackson, Lou Reed, Phil Collins, and Elvis Costello. Several years ago, Peter Gabriel was offered Crisler Arena by the University promoters. But he opted to go with the smaller take up on the Hill. By virtue of her charms and unrivaled reverb, Gabriel's concert at Hill became a part of his Plays Live album. Chrisler arena has no right preten- ding to be a concert hall. While it is a great place to watch tall people wearing maize and blue run after a basketball, the acoustics are lousy; and seating beyond the sixth row is worthless. Crisler is a concrete monument to entrepreneuralngreed in the music in- dustry and should be avoided by the serious spectator at all cost. But the cost is not high, as the bands attrac- ted to this sight- The Moody Blues, 02 0 0 Pat Metheney: Jazz so clean it hurts. last term alone. Full speed ahead guys! The Del Rio is a cozy bar that features jazz and jam sessions on Sundays, while the Earle is a good place to take your folks for easy listening-type jazz. The Pantree restaurant features a series they call Jazz on the Plaza. This is a sweet out- door situation during warm weather. Jazz in the Media: As you might guess by now, there is a lot of action here, too. The Ann Arbor News carries regular jazz features by national and local writers including regular "around town" stories by WEMU jazz-DJ Michael G. Nastos. The Michigan Daily prides itself in its coverage of the jazz scene (ahem!). Our student-run newspaper features a weekly Tuesday column on jazz written by local jazz lunatic Prof. arwulf arwulf as well as regular stories and raves by yours truly. The local radio dial is jam-packed with jazz as well. The sister stations with NPR provide jazz music all day long; WDET broadcasts out of Detroit and WEMU from Ypsilanti. Programming ranges from the swinging straight ahead to occasional forays into new jazz. The DJ's are an exceptional bunch of folks with wide and diverse backgrounds. WEMU is also particularly active in promoting local concert events. There is annual summer festival on Frog Island, and during the school year they provide top-flight concerts- as part of the Depot. Town Jazz Series. Performances range from blues, to bop, to Big Band C'I 01 Is UNIVERSITY TOWERS The Best of Campus Life! FURNISHED APARTMENTS GREAT LOCATION Corner of S. University & Forest 536 S. Forest Ave. 761-2680 At the University of Michigan there are two affiliated stations that broad- cast jazz. WUOM features jazz on Saturdays with former Eclipse direc- tor Michael Grofsorean and the nationally syndicated program Jazz Revisited with our own Hazen Schumacher as host. WCBN is a horse of a different color. Infinite different colors in fact. WCBN is the student- run alternative radio network of the University. arwulf arwulf will no doubt spell out the particulars of WCBN's zany, free-form approach elsewhere in this issue. Let me confine my com- ments therefore to WCBN's Jazz Til Noon programming. Monday through Friday from 9a.m. til noon WCBN of- fers what I called "Alternative Jaz- zcasting." Where else can you hear a concert by the Ganelin Trio of Russia, or three hours of Cecil Taylor? Nowhere. Who else would sponsor an Albert Ayler Radio Marathon? Not many. You really have to listen in to get the scope of the sounds. You'll find me broadcasting Monday mornings. Tune in. Record Stores: Ann Arbor is a record buyer's town. And again lots of jazz to be found and heard. As jazz goes, Schoolkids' Records is number one. An incredible selection: cutouts, imports, independents, the works! Be prepared to loose your purse strings. Discount Records also features a wide selection of jazz titles worth perusing. For the jazz collector, the great used record stores in Ann Arbor will provide substantial appeal. Wazoo, RATX, and PJ's Used Records all Compare and contrast: R.E.M.'s innovative Michael Stipe (left) storms the Michigan Theater with his lulling inarticulate voice, and everybody's The Police- tend to be long past their prime anyway. Over the years, Ann Arbor has welcomed a respectable slew of new artists- The Who, The Doors, Pink Floyd, XTC, Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, R.E .M .-often before these monsters were cool on a mass scale. Despite the city's success with arwulf arwulf on jaz z. )I2 ?Z every tuesday on arts. potential biggies, the local scene has never borne a significant harvest. For starters, this is not a town par- ticularly rich in adventurous music clubs. While the scene does manage to provide a few good acts every couple U favorite innovator Lou Reed takes a H leisurely stroll to the wild side. 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